Reader Responses, July 27, 2014

Published on Saturday, 26 July 2014 22:11 - Written by

THERE ARE COMMON-SENSE SOLUTIONS TO BORDER CRISIS

On July 22, my wife and I attended State Rep. David Simpson’s report on the immigration crisis from his tour of the Texas border, hoping to clarify our understanding and feelings. I believe that we came away with a clarification consistent with our Christian beliefs of benevolent humanitarianism and the protection and safety of our state and nation.

It boils down rather simply to the moral of the story based upon one of Aesop’s fables about the goose that laid the golden eggs. If immigrants are overwhelming us with illegal entry, I believe we could all agree that they are seeking the “golden eggs” of our nation: safety, opportunity, education, healthcare, and so on. However, our educational, health care, agricultural, and other infrastructures represent the “goose.”

Uncontrolled immigration ultimately chokes the goose to death, and neither the current owners of the goose, nor those who come in hordes to steal the golden eggs, ultimately have any golden eggs to enjoy.

What should we do? First, act with magnanimous benevolence to those who come here to relieve their immediate suffering with the understanding that they cannot remain in this country illegally. Second, establish and enforce an immigration policy that permits some to come here in an orderly, practical, and sustainable manner; and establish a foreign aid policy that does not enrich corrupt national leaders but that rather addresses the suffering of the people of foreign nations.

And third, three steps: First, immediately remove the incentives for uncontrolled immigration like the government extension of “freebies”: education, health care, birth citizenship, etc.; enforce severe penalties upon those Americans who privately incentivize uncontrolled illegal immigration by covertly or overtly hiring illegal immigrants; and finally, demand and enforce work requirements for those on any form of welfare who are able to fill jobs currently held by illegal immigrants.

Steve Russell

Tyler

POLLS

In Thursday’s editorial, you present as fact (and thus truth) a glaring misrepresentation of the truth. You stated and I quote: “These days, polls show, a clear majority of Americans believe there is nothing wrong with homosexuality — but that discrimination is a terrible thing.”

Polls do not always reveal truth. Polls do not necessarily reflect reality. Polls only show what the people who participated in any given poll say in answer to a poll question. What people who participate in polls say and what the majority believe most likely are worlds apart. The majority of the people in the U.S. have never participated in the polls that are continually referenced in the media. The same demographics are polled over and over so as to support particular world views, specific ideologies fostered by the god of this world and not biblical truths or a world view based on same.

Tom Hanson

Tyler

FOSSIL FUELS

In Wednesday’s “Reader Response” column on the editorial pages, the topic of fossil fuels was raised.

Some points to consider: All of us should remember the term “photosynthesis” from a long-ago science class. Photosynthesis is how plants extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to use for growth and reproduction, then expel oxygen as a waste product. Humans find this oxygen extremely useful.

Wind and sun may indeed be free. However, to harness these forces to produce electric power, a highly expensive, inefficient power grid is required. Because of this cost problem Spain, Germany, and France have cut back drastically their attempts to provide solar and wind electricity.

Something else to consider: An expanding number of electric vehicles are being plugged directly into wall sockets fed by a coal-fed, steam generated power plant. These coal-fired plants are the source of “cut rate” electric power.

As for fossil fuel pollutants “killing wildlife,” a recent government report shows that wind turbine fields in the West and Southwest are responsible for killing thousands of birds each year.